Too Long Gone
by LilyGhost
Summary: Ranger goes in the wind and comes back to a less-than-happy Stephanie, forcing him to think on his feet to make things right and make Stephanie his. Told from Ranger's POV.


**Ranger, Stephanie, and Tank are Janet's creations. The mistakes are mine.**

I narrowly dodged a right hook to the face. I caught the fist in my hand and turned it so it was pinned behind the attacker's back. I had their body caged by mine less than a second later.

"Babe?" I asked the pissed off person.

"Don't _babe_ me."

I know I've been gone longer than I'd promised, but that couldn't be helped.

"I'm really mad at you right now," she told me.

My eyebrow went up. "I noticed. If I let you go, are you going to take a swing at me again?"

"Depends. What's your excuse for not coming home when you said you would, or for not contacting me to let me know that you weren't dying in a ditch or jungle somewhere?"

"You would have been notified if I had died," I said, my tone remaining reasonable.

Her glared indicated that she's not currently in a reasonable mood. My absence scared her ... and she didn't like it.

"Don't mess with me," she warned, her threat backing up her narrow-eyed stare.

I reached out to cup her cheek in my hand, not at all confident that she'd let me touch her, even in this small way. She stiffened when my fingers slid over her skin, but she didn't pull away. I don't explain myself or my actions to anyone, but I know I owe her.

"I would have called if I could."

"Would it really have killed you to at least have Tank tell me that you were okay? I know he's always kept in the loop."

"It wouldn't have killed _me_ , but Tank might have had a coronary if I'd asked him to speak to you."

She snorted in disbelief. " _I'm_ not the scary one."

"You're terrifying. And Tank agrees."

"So ... obviously you're alright."

"I am now."

I'm not trying to save my ass again. Just seeing her can make even the shittiest jobs seem not as bad as they felt while doing them.

"Care to share anything about the delay, or what you were doing that caused it?" She asked me.

"No. I'd rather talk about you."

She laughed. "There's not much to say there. I came, I saw, I probably screwed up."

I gave her an irritated look and tightened my fingers slightly on her face.

"I know that's not true. You've been doing well without me. I heard about the Berner apprehension."

"I _did_ get him." Her pride-filled smile then dimmed. "But I haven't really been doing all that great without you. It didn't take me long to realize that even if I don't need your help for a takedown, I still hope you're going to be around to tell me that you're proud of me when I get the capture receipt in my hand."

"I'm _always_ proud of you, Babe. Whether or not I'm here to say it."

"Well, you are here now ... why exactly?"

"Because I missed you and you missed me."

It wasn't a question.

"Maybe I did, but I'm not sure I should have."

"You shouldn't have given me a second thought," I stated. I gripped her shoulders in my hands and dipped my head so she had to look directly at me. "But the fact that I know you were thinking of me, got me out of more than one tight spot."

"You always say stuff like that when you first get back, it's how you'll feel about me weeks from now that has me worried."

"That worry stops today. I'm not going away again ... at least for a while. If I do get called in to handle something, I will tell you about it and also instruct Tank to keep you informed with what I can share. Will that make you relax?"

"Not entirely. I'd feel better if I could hear _your_ voice telling me that you're okay."

"Consider it done if I have access to a phone."

I risked a brief kiss to her mouth, and when she didn't try sinking her teeth into my lip, _I_ started to relax.

"I don't want to seem clingy, but after all the Morelli crap I've been through, I don't want to love a guy who can't be here for me when I need him, or one who won't accept my help when _he_ needs _me_."

"We've got some things to work out then, because you already love me. And my getting off a plane and heading straight here - without even letting Tank know that I'm back - shows just how important you are to me."

"I guess Tank doesn't know everything after all." Her expression appeared contrite. "Now I feel a little bad for trying to punch you."

"Don't. I understand why you wanted to." I dropped my hands to her waist and made sure not even light was between us. "Do you have plans for tonight?"

"I _had_ been contemplating a four-way with Kirbee Krimpet, Mr. Clucky, and Jose Cuervo."

"Easing your anxiety with junk?" I asked.

Her shoulders lifted in a noncommittal shrug. "I may not have to now. Or do I?"

"You don't. Would you be interested in a more ... _intimate_... encounter?"

"Will you be here in the morning after we've _'encountered'_ each other a few times?"

"Yes. It would take four Tanks and two Browns to get me to leave."

"Six Range-clones?" She asked, smiling for the first time since I'd arrived.

"And that's only if they caught me off guard, which wouldn't happen."

"Of course it wouldn't. I wonder if there's any way of _me_ catching you off guard."

She really is irresistible. "Only one way to find out."

My last word was smothered by her lips, as her head surged up and she slanted her mouth across my lips. She opened herself to me immediately, wanting more, and my tongue stroked along hers. I know this kiss is only the beginning of how off balance she's about to make me.

I didn't wake up this morning intending to claim our someday, but now that it seems to be starting, we'll deal with it. Being without her isn't an option, so we'll figure out a better one. _Tomorrow_. The remainder of the day, and the entire night, will be used to reconnect with each other. We'll do all the necessary thinking and compromising in the morning over multiple cups of hot coffee ... with her even hotter body still plastered to mine.


End file.
